More Trouble For Chamisa As ZESN Results Tally With ZEC

HARARE – In what is likely to weaken MDC Alliance Presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa’s case against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (ZESN) has released its Presidential election estimated ranges which appear to confirm the figures announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission yesterday.

According to ZESN’s sample based observation report released today, Emmerson Mnangagwa scored 50.7% with a margin of error of two percent while Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance stood at 45.8% again with a margin of error of plus or minus two percent.

ZESN Sample Based Observation report

“ZEC’s announced official results are consistent with the SBO projections. The percent vote for each candidate as officially announced by the ZEC fall within the SBO estimated ranges.

“Because the SBO estimated range for the leading candidate falls above and below 50%, the SBO cannot definitively confirm whether or not there should have been a runoff,” noted ZESN.

The elections lobby group noted that they deployed 750 sample based observers who witnessed the entire counting process across the country and recorded official result as announced by polling officials which the organisation formed the basis of their projected outcome.

ZESN’s report is in sharp contrast to claims by the MDC Alliance that its results tabulation puts Nelson Chamisa ahead of Mnangagwa.

Chamisa has already dismissed the results announced by ZEC saying they are ‘cooked’ to subvert the will of the people.

In his argument, Chamisa accused ZEC of delaying the release of the Presidential election results even though they were the first to be announced.

Meanwhile, ZESN has called on ZEC to urgently release polling station level results for all the elections including the presidential to enhance transparency and accountability.

“ZESN calls upon the ZEC to urgently release on its website polling station level results for all elections, including the presidential election, to enhance transparency and accountability.

“This is even more important given concerns raise by some stakeholders about the process.”